I have been using these exact pads, for the exact same two dogs, since I got the dogs in 2017. I have been very satisfied with them, and have never even considered switching or trying another brand. You could say that I've been a very loyal customer. I've also recommended these to all of my friends who use pads for their dogs. I waited a couple of weeks before writing this review, just to be sure that I wasn't imagining things, or that my dogs weren't having some kind of weird spike in their drinking (thus peeing) amounts. I would also like to mention that my dogs weigh 4.2 lbs and 6.4 lbs respectively, so really, any pads should be able to handle their output. I am disabled and live in a small apartment, so while I do walk my dogs most days (ie when I'm not too sick), the pads are their main toileting area. I use a total of 3 pads per day, change to fresh ones first thing every morning, and I have a very firm grasp on their usual output. I keep an eye on this just in case of any changes which could indicate diabetes, etc. I do pick up solid waste immediately, each time. But the three pads have always lasted just fine for a 24 hour period. These are the first small dogs that I've ever had, and I wasn't sure what to expect as far as performance from pads, so I got some silicone mats that are designed to hold the pads and protect the floors against any leakthrough. With very rare exceptions, I have found the silicone mats to have been overkill and possibly paranoia on my part. Every morning, I just roll up the previous day's pads, toss them in the trash, and the mats are always bone dry. It's always been a very simple process, and while of course I do wash my hands after doing this, there has never been any fluid overflow to worry about dripping on me or on my floors on the way to the trash can. Well. When I received my most recent shipment of pads, I immediately noticed that they seemed a bit thinner. I figured I was imagining things, and didn't think twice about it. As it turns out, I was not imagining things. Every single morning now, the pads barely hold half of the fluid in them. There is a daily huge puddle of pee that I have to wash off of the mats, then dry, before replacing with new pads. Generally, this is not one cohesive puddle but just wherever they peed, it bled through. For the first time in six years, I am very glad that I took the extra step of getting the silicone mats, not just out of an abundance of caution but for very practical reasons as well. Were it not for the mats, I may not be aware of this situation, meanwhile my flooring would be thoroughly ruined by now. I'm obviously changing my routine, I'm going to start changing the pads twice per day now instead, which really puts a serious dent in my finances. And honestly, I'm really not sure whether that will even be sufficient to stop the leaking. Unless I should happen to hear something different from the manufacturer (which I really doubt will happen, I'm just one dissatisfied customer and they are a huge brand who can definitely afford to lose my business), I will not be using these pads going forward. I have already been asking around for recommendations for other brands which people are happy with. Oh, and just as an aside, I always order new pads a week or two before I actually need them, and keep the leftovers from the old package as emergency backup. So I happen to have some from my last order on hand, which I compared side-by-side with the new package. There is definitely a noticeable difference. I guess this company figures that they'll keep their sales numbers up because most people don't use them permanently, and they have the advantage of being a huge, well-known brand. So most people won't even know that they are paying more for such terrible quality. I can't even imagine the mess that would result if my dogs were, say, 10 or 15 lbs. Or the damage to my floors if I didn't have the silicone mats. Whoever is behind the marketing plan to make these pads so much thinner, really should lose their job. I used to wash the mats every month in boiling water and a little bit of chlorine bleach, just to make sure that they stay fresh, even though I almost never had any bleeding through. Now, I have to wash the mats daily out of pure necessity. Being disabled, this is a major issue for me. The energy that I'm using up dealing with the pad situation every morning also means that I usually do not have the energy to take the dogs for their walk, because the nature of my disabilities means that my energy supplies are extremely limited and I get very ill physically if I try to push myself past my limits. Glad, I am disappointed in you. I also assume that you are similarly cutting corners with your other products, so I will henceforth be purchasing trash bags and any other items that I've been buying from you because I felt confident in the brand, from another company. It was great while it lasted though. Update: After having used this new batch for a while, I can definitely say that they are vastly inferior. I have to use a double layer of them now (I didn't before), and my dogs are 4 lbs and 6 lbs respectively. You'd think that the pads could handle their bladder volume. Nope. Also, on three different occasions, as I'm unfolding them as I have been doing for years, my finger has just gone right through the pad. I am not a particularly robust person, and I treat things gently. This is totally unacceptable.
